THERE are very few in boxing’s family who don’t recognise Vasiliy Lomachenko as pound-for-pound the best fighter in the world today.
The general view on both sides of the Atlantic is Loma has exceptional hand-speed, timing, accuracy, creativity, athleticism, dazzling footwork, razor-sharp reflexes and punch-power.
It isn’t often we get all-time greats in their prime coming to our shores.
So I thought it would be fun to select ten elite fighters I’ve been privileged to see in the flesh in British rings over the last 50-odd years.
June 18, 1963, Wembley Stadium
The Greatest made the first of his three visits to London when as a 21-year-old Cassius Clay he stopped Henry Cooper on cuts in round five.
September 22, 1964, Empire Pool, Wembley
Emile Griffith gave brave Welshman Brian Curtis a 15-round thrashing to retain his world welterweight title.
March 28, 1972, Empire Pool, Wembley
Cuban-born Mexican Jose Napoles — known as Mantequilla because he was as smooth as butter — had no trouble knocking out Eastender Ralph Charles in the seventh to keep his world welterweight crown.
September 26, 1972, Empire Pool, Wembley
Bob Foster, arguably the greatest light-heavyweight, KO’d brave Chris Finnegan in the 14th round — voted Ring magazine’s fight of the year.
July 2, 1973, Earls Court, London
Smokin’ Joe Frazier, having lost his world heavyweight title to George Foreman, outpointed Joe Bugner over 12 torrid rounds.
September 27, 1980, Empire Pool, Wembley
Marvin Hagler cut Alan Minter’s face to ribbons in less than three rounds to begin his seven-year reign as world middleweight king.
June 20, 1981, Empire Pool, Wembley
Nicaraguan Alexis Arguello battered gallant Scot Jim Watt to a bloody 15-round points defeat to win world lightweight title.
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April 3, 1999, Royal Albert Hall, London
Marco Antonio Barrera, the WBO world super-bantamweight champ wasn’t among us long. Liverpool’s Paul Loyd retired after one round after taking terrible punishment.
January 29, 2000, Manchester Arena
Mike Tyson was in action for just 4min 41secs in his two visits here. Knocking out Julius Francis in two rounds and Lou Savarese in one at Hampden Park.
September 20, 2016, O2 Arena, London
Gennady Golovkin’s ferocious punching broke Kell Brook’s eye socket before stopping him in the fifth to retain his middleweight crown.
